Hood latch



N. A. M EARS June 8, 1937.

HOOD LATCH Original Filed Jan. 5, 1935 Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED s'rr PATENT OFFICE HOOD LATCH Original application January 5, 1935, Serial No. 479. Divided and this application May 9, 1936,

Serial No. 78,796

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in bearings for rods or rock shafts and particularly to a type of bearing which is available for use with latching means for latching the closure of an automobile hood. Whereas in my drawing my bearing is so illustrated, it will be understood that its application to this particular purpose is illustrative rather than restrictive and that it is available for a wide variety of uses, par ticularly where a rock shaft or rotating rod is mounted upon or adjacent a sheet metalsupport.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

This case is a division of my prior application Serial No. 4'79, filed January 5, 1935.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 illustrates the application of my bearings to a hood latch rod applied to the interior of an automobile hood;

Figure 2 is a partial plan view on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional detail taken at line 33 of Figure 2 or Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3 showing the parts reassembled after repair;

Figure 5 is a view on an enlarged scale of the central portion of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken at the line 5-6 of Figure 5, showing the original or riveted construction;

Figure '7 is a transverse section taken at the line 1-1 of Figure 5, showing the bolted or repaired construction;

Figure 8 is a plan view of one ofthe bearing members, removed from the parts upon which it is mounted when in use; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken at line 99 of Figure 8.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawing. I

A indicates a'hood which may be of any suitable shape and is shown here merely diagrammatically. As shown it is provided with a curved edge Al.

B is a reinforcing and latch holding member. As shown it is curved in plan and channeled in section, having laterally extending flanges Bl, Bl, adapted to contact and to be fastened to the hood plate member A. The reinforcing member is perforated at suitable intervals as at B2 to receive fastening means by means of which it is fastened upon the hood plate member A. It is normally riveted to that member by rivets B3, although it might. be. welded OrOthBIWiSQlastened to the hood. In normal practice when once fastened to the hood, it is desirable not to remove it as to do so might damage the hood or the paint or other surface treatment. Hence it is desirable to provide means for removing and reinstalling or reattaching the latching part without removing the reinforcing member and without in any way disturbing its attachment to the hood sheet member. To accomplish this the reinforcing member is provided with one or more perforations C, located in. that portion of vit which is not in contact with the hood sheet member A. As indicated particularly in Figure 2 the perforation C is enlarged at one portion andis provided with a' preferably centrally disposed, laterally extending, reduced portion Cl. The margins of the perforations C2 may or may not be tapered as shown and in fact the perforation may be given almost any desired shape so long as one portion is relatively large and the other relatively small; the purpose and use of this.

will be described below.

Elsewhere in the supporting member and formed in that portion of it which is not in contact with the hood sheet member A are one or more additional perforations D which are provided with relatively large portions and with laterally extending, preferably centrally located, reduced portions DI. As in the case of the perforation C,the shape of these perforations D and of the communicating portions Dl might be almost infinitely varied so long as one portion is somewhat larger than the other. The use and purpose of these perforations and of their proportions will be indicated below.

E is a latch bearing member. It comprises a preferably flat portion, perforated as at El and a rounded bearing portion E2 which terminates in an outwardly depending portion E3 which, as shown in Figure 9, extends beyond the plane of the portion E and terminates in a reversed,-and preferably inwardly, bent flange or lip E4.

When the parts are originally assembled, one of the bearing members E is inserted through each of the perforations C. Its lip E4 engages the portion B of the stiffening member as shown particularly in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The perforation El lies in register with the portion CI of the perforation C and a rivet F passes through the portion Cl. and the perforation E and holds the parts in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3 and also as shown at the right hand or upper the latch rod which is supported in the bearings E the rivets F are ground off or otherwise removed and the bearing member E may then be removed by being first raised andtilted so that the lip E4 is out of engagement with the stiffening member B and the part may then be removed.

When it is desired to replace the bearings, a suitably headed bolt G is inserted first through the perforation C and then slipped into the'extension Cl. Its head bears againstthe side of the channel section of the member B and hence does not rotate so that a nut GI may be screwed in place. A lock washer G2, may also be used 'if desired. It will be obviousthusthatthe bearing members which carry 'thelatehrod may be removed and replaced without the necessity of removing the stiffening member: B.

H is a plate which a'cts'as abearing-support and as a latch handle support. It is provided with an outwardly bent portion HI and a flange H2, perforated as at H3, to receive bolts Fl by means. 'ofwhich itis fastened to the hoodplate A. At its "opposite 'end it isp'rovided with two inwardly curled extensions H4 which serve as bearing-supports to receive and rotatably mount thelatch rod. "It is perforated adjacent these curled portions asat H5. .When originally assembled it ,is'fastened tothe stiffening, member B 'by rivets F. Whenit isnecessary to'remove theplate H theserivets are ground-off or otherwise removed. When it is necessary to replace the 'plate'I-I suitably headed bolts G, similar to those above described, are inserted first through the perforations Dand then moved "so that their shanks lie within the portions DI. In this position they bear against an angularly shaped portion of the channel member Band hence cannot rotate and'nuts GI may be'screwed into position uponth'e'm. Lock washers G2 maybe used if desired. Thus as in thecase of the bearing clips E, the plate H which is originally riveted in position, may be removed and rigidly replaced without the necessity of removingfthe stiffening member Band this is'accomplished in part by the shape tifithe perforations C and D which permits the ihseftfiflof suitably'headed bolts and in part by thesha'pe of the channel member B, which, whenv the bolts are in proper position, prevents their rotation and so makes it possible to screw nuts tightly down 'iipo'n them without the necessityof'g'e'tti'n'g at th'e'back or'innerp'ortion'of the channel section B. i

I is a latch rod journalled in thebearing members or clips E and also in the bearing 'p'ortio'ns H4. It is preferably provided at or near each end with a laterally bentportion II which terminates in a latch engaging member 12 sothat when it is rotated into one position it engages said latch and when it is rotated "out of such position it is free from said latch. It may be laterally bent intermediate its ends as at I3 to .provide a crank, portion which receives alink I4. This link is fastened to the handle arm I5 which is itself secured to a handle shaft I6 journalled in a. bearing formed in a;boss I! in the plate H. Any suitable handle may be fastened on the outer or free end of. the handle shaft I6. The plate H may have oneorr-m'ore stops I8 to limit the movement of the member I5.

As shownin Figure" lg thelatch rod I has been removed and replaced. Thus two of the'rivets F on the reinforcing member B have been removed and replaced by bolts G, upon whichnuts GI have'b'een screwed in place andthree of the and shown a practical and operative device, neverth'ele'ss many changes might be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawing to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative and diae grammatic rather than as limiting me to my 'specifi'c'showing. v i I The use and operation of my invention are as follows: i

I have illustrated my bearings as applied to a particular surface, namely, supporting ;a rock shaft for a hood latch. It will be understood, of course, that the use of my bearing is notso limited. However, as this is an efiicient use of my bearing I will describe-it in detail.

The reinforcing strip is curved or of any other tion as required and the bearing clips E and the.

plate H are then preferably riveted into place. The latch assembly is then ready for mounting upon and attachment to an automobile hood. Ordinarily it will be riveted, welded or otherwise permanently attached to the hood. The'handle shaft I6 projecting through the hood and receiving at its outer end any desirable handle byfme'ans of which it can be rotated to operate the latch; 'After the assembly has beenpermanently' fastened to the'hood plate, it may becomenecessary, for repair brotherwise, to remove part or all of the latch bar. If such removal requires removal of the reinforcing member B as a whole from the hood, damage 'to the "hood or its or injuring the hood. After the repair has been made the parts are reassembled, suitably headed bolts are inserted through the perforations Cand D, they are slipped into thereduced portions of those perforations Cl and DI, respectively, which are'p'referably in widthflabout the same as the diameter of the bolt. When pushed into position in these reduced portions the heads contact theside of the channelformed in the stiffening member B and thus are held'against rotation so that a nut may be screwed home upon them and the partsagain tightened into position and the entire assembly is then again in its original position without the necessity of removal of the member B from the hood.

-I claim:

-1.-In-a bearingassembly, a base member, a.

rotatable shaft, a support for said rotatable shaft, mounted on and spaced outwardly from said base member, said shaft being adapted to bear against the outer face of said support, and bearing clips for said shaft, each such clip including a shaft embracing portion, a relatively extended portion adapted to be opposed to the outer face of said support and a portion adapted to penetrate said support, said support being apertured to receive said penetrating portion, said penetrating portion including an offset element adapted to be opposed to the inner face of said support, and securing means for securing the extended portion of the clip in relation to the support, with said offset element in looking opposition to the inner face of said support.

2. In a bearing assembly, a base member, a rotatable shaft, a. support for said rotatable shaft, mounted on and spaced outwardly from said base member, said shaft being adapted to bear against the outer face of said support, and bearing clips for said shaft, each such clip including a shaft embracing portion, a relatively extended portion adapted to be opposed to the outer face of said support and a portion adapted to penetrate said support, said support being apertured to receive said penetrating portion, said penetrating portion including an offset element adapted to be opposed to the inner face of said support, and securing means for securing the extended portion of the clip in relation to the support, with said offset element in looking opposition to the inner face of said support, said aperture including a portion conforming in width to the width of the penetrating portion of said clip, and a portion of substantially less width, said securing means passing through said portion of less width.

NORTON A. MEARS. 

